The Altai State Agricultural University (ASAU) is one of the oldest universities of the Altai Region. The University was founded in 1943 on the basis of the Pushkinskiy Agricultural Institute which was evacuated to the Altai Region from Leningrad.

The mission of the Altai State Agricultural University consists in quality education, re-education and improvement of professional skills of qualified specialists of agricultural industry. The mission also includes the generation of up-to-date scientific knowledge based on the integration of agricultural science and agricultural education, the interchange of progressive experience and advanced practical implementation of the research results to ensure the formation of innovative and competitive agricultural industry and sustainable social and economic development of the Siberian Federal District as a strategically important region for Russian food security.

The improvement and development of efficient animal production technologies. The improvement of animal management and reproduction systems.

The improvement of productive and reproductive features of cattle, the creation of Siberian type of dairy cattle. The identification of optimal condition index of cows of different breeds bred in the Altai Region and revealing the connection with the basic economically valuable features and the application in selective animal breeding.

The development and introduction of energy-saving electrical technologies, electric equipment and means of automation in agriculture.

The improvement of technologies of planting material cultivation and fruits and berries growing.

The organization and management in agricultural industry complex, increase of efficiency of using basic production assets in market conditions. Land relations and property forms. Organization-economic foundations of the development of innovative consulting service in agricultural industry complex.

The improvement of accounting and economic control at agricultural enterprises under market conditions.

Pedagogical foundations of continuous agricultural education under market conditions, the development of effective education technologies at undergraduate and post-graduate levels.

Scientific and methodological support of land evaluation activities, the development of land management projects based on adaptive-landscape agriculture; agro-ecologic monitoring.

Radiological monitoring.

Philosophy and history of religion, culture and philosophical anthropology.

One of the indispensable conditions determining the prospects of the University's development is international cooperation. The priority is given to joint scientific research activities with foreign universities and scientific organizations, joint international publications, qualification upgrading of research and teaching staff through academic and internship programmes abroad, participation of post-graduate and undergraduate students in international scientific and academic programmes.

The University entered agreements on international cooperation in the field of education and research with thirteen universities and scientific organizations of Germany, Mongolia, India, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

The researchers of the University are involved in joint international research projects and grant programs. An example is the research project "The Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Ecosystems of the Altai Region, Russia" jointly implemented the Michigan State University, USA. The project was funded by the grant of the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CDRF) and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.

The University is also involved in the Russian-German interdisciplinary research project "Kulunda" (Kulunda: How to Prevent the Next "Global Dust Bowl"? Ecological and Economic Strategies for Sustainable Land Management in the Russian Steppes: A Potential Solution to Climate Change), funded by the German government.

Particular attention is paid to the international programs that enable the students to learn advance farming practices abroad. The University organizes summer internships in Germany in farming businesses. During the period from 2005 to 2014 more than 100 ASAU students were the participants of such internships. Our partners in Germany are the Bavarian Association of Farmers (Bayerischer Bauernverband – BBV), and LOGO e.V. (Landwirtschaft und Oekologisches Gleichgewicht mit Osteuropa – Agriculture and Ecological Balance with Eastern Europe).

In 2011, the Cooperation Agreement with the Himachal Pradesh University (Shimla, India) was signed, known as the Altai-Indian Himalaya Scientific and Cultural Exchange Forum. One of the achievements of the cooperation was the joint publication of the collection of research papers in the Russian and English languages "Altai-Himalaya: Two Foundations of Eurasia" in 2011. Another successful cooperation event was the internship of the master's degree students the Kazakh National Agricultural University at ASAU (October, 2011).

During the 70 years since its foundation the ASAU has trained more than 55,000 professionals who are involved in the agricultural industry and other sectors of the economy. Their professionalism and competence is the achievement of the Altai State Agricultural University and the confirmation of its quality educational programs.